Precision quick connection



Dec. 13970 1'. o. sHARPLE 3,544,139

PRECISION QUICK CONNECTION Filed April 11, 1969 IIII'IL I NVENTOR.

3,544,139 PRECISION QUICK CONNECTION Thomas D. Sharples, Atherton, Califl, assignor to Beckman Instruments, Inc., a corporation of California Filed Apr. 11, 1969, Ser. No. 815,420 Int. Cl. F16b 9/00 US. Cl. 287-20 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An attaching device for readily detachably mounting a body, such as a cuvette, to a plate with repeatable axial precision. A plurality of roller assemblies, at least one of which is resilient, are carried by the plate. The cuvette surface contains recesses for clearing the rollers when seating the body. When the seated body is turned, the roller assemblies press the body toward the plate and the resilient roller assembly laterally urges the body toward the other of the roller assemblies.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to a device for readily detachably mounting a body to a plate with precision.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND OBJECTS According to the invention, an attaching device for readily detachably mounting a body to a plate with repeatable axial precision is provided. At least three spaced, non-aligned support posts are formed with rotatable, enlarged upper portions, and carried by the plate. The body periphery includes clearance recesses to permit passage of the upper post portions when seating the body among the posts. The body also includes surface portions, suitably of a frustocouical shape, which serve to cooperate with the upper post portions to press the body tightly toward the plate after relative rotation therebetween with the body seated among the posts. At least one of the posts is resilient, thus serving to laterally urge the axis of rotation of the body toward the other of the posts when the body is in the above tightly pressed position. The support posts are suitably formed from axles, mounted on the plate, serving to carry a roller device.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved attaching device for mounting a body to a plate.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved attaching device for readily detachably mounting a body to a plate with repeatable axial precision.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved attaching device for readily engaging and disengaging a body and a plate Further objects of the invention will be apparent from the description which follows taken in conjunction with the drawings appended thereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a partially schematic, cut-away, elevational view of a monitor apparatus with a cuvette mounted thereto by the attaching device of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational view of one embodiment of the attaching device of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a top sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are enlarged views of three dilferent embodiments of the axle and roller device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, a housing 11 is provided to house the working parts of an ultra-violet monitor. In the operation of the monitor, light from a light source 12 passes United States Patent 0 Patented Dec. 1, 1970 a condenser lens 13 which serves to focus the light on window 14 of cuvette 15. The light is received by photocell 16 which provides an electrical signal indicative of the contents of the cuvette.

The base plate 18 of housing 11 includes a hole 17 surrounded by three spaced, non-aligned, tapped holes 19 for receiving roller assemblies 20. The roller assemblies include three axle bolts 21 having fiat heads 22, only two of the axles being shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Axles 21 are threadably received in tapped holes 19 and may be suitably locked to plate 18 by nuts 23. Rollers 24 are slidably and rotatably carried by axles 21. Rollers 24 may have frustoconical under-surfaces 25.

Between one of rollers 24 and the fiat head 22 of its supporting axle 21 is inserted a resilient member such as O-ring 26 serving to resiliently urge the roller toward plate 18. O-ring 26 may be formed of any suitable resilient material, such as rubber. Such a combination will be referred to hereinafter as a resilient roller assembly.

Cuvette 15 may be provided with a suitable top for convenient manual handling and turning such as knurled top 28. A lower portion of the periphery of cuvette 15 may be formed into a frustoconical ring 29 adapted to mate with under-surface 25 of rollers 24. Surface 29 contains suitable clearance recesses, such as notches 30, spaced to cooperate with rollers 24 to permit cuvette ring 29 to clear the rollers 24 so that the cuvette may be seated with bottom 31 in hole 17 and the flat portion of ring 29 seated on plate 18. An opening 32 is provided in housing 11 to allow the cuvette 14 to be slidingly inserted therein.

A stop pin 33 may be secured to plate 18 to extend upwardly therefrom. Pin 33 cooperates with a notch 34 in ring 29 to provide a precise angular positioning of cuvette 15 on plates. The pin 33 contacts an edge of notch 34 when the cuvette is in the predetermined angular position, hereinafter called the set position. The insertion and turning of cuvette 14 may be performed manually with top 28.

In the set position, cuvette 15 is pressed toward plate 18 by the roller assemblies 26. The resilient roller assembly serve to laterally urge the axis of rotation of cuvette 15 toward the other two of the rollers to provide a repeatable precise axial location for the cuvette. The axial location or position may be adjusted by tightening or loosening the bolts 22 associated with the two rollers. When such precision is unnecessary or when other locating means such as piloting diameters are preferred, all three roller assemblies may be resilient to more tightly press the cuvette 15 against plate 18.

Since the rollers 24 are free to rotate upon a turning of the cuvette 15, the wear on the rollers and ring 29 is at a minimum. Thus, the contacting surfaces retain their precision for long periods of time.

Like numbers for like parts will be used for the description of the resilient roller assemblies of FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 to be described hereinafter.

Referring to FIG. 4, another embodiment of a resilient roller assembly includes a hub 35 formed of a resilient material, such as an elastomer. Hub 35 is suitably retained on axle 21 by washers 36 in a position to contact surface 29 and press the cuvette 14 to the plate 18 in cooperation with the other two roller assemblies 20* and to laterally urge the cuvette thereto.

Referring to FIG. 5, a further embodiment of the resilient roller assembly includes an axle 38 received in tapped hole 19 of plate 18 and protruding therethrough. The axle is threadably engaged with adjusting nut 40 held in a precise position by locking screw 41. Roller 42, carried by axle 38, is provided with resilience by means of O-ring 43 inserted between screw 40 and the roller. The O-ring may be made of any resilient material such as rubber. The elongated assembly cooperates With-the clear-' resilient roller'assembly includes an elongated axle 21 and elongated roller 24. The resilience of the roller assembly is provided by flexure of the axle. An increase in flexure, hence resilience, may be accomplished by providing a long annular space 44 between the axle and the roller. As in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the elongated roller cooperates with the clearance recesses to guide the cuvette.

It will be apparent that the roller assemblies may be mounted on structures other than a plate adapted to hold the cuvette. Furthermore, the rollers may be disposed to cooperate with the inside of a ring rather than the outside as shown. Likewise, the rollers can be mounted in the cuvette to be positioned and the ring on the supporting structure.

' It is apparent from the foregoing description that the attaching device of the invention is suitable for readily coupling and uncoupling a cuvette to an associated mount with repeatable axial and angularprecision. In addition, the attaching device may be used in any apparatus wherein ready interchangeability of parts is desirable. Thus, it is particularly well suited where the part must be attached with repeatable axial precision, such as in lens, mirror and prism mounts of optical instruments.

I claim: a 1. In an attaching device for readily detachably mounting a body to a planar support with repeatable axial precision, the combination comprising:

at least three spaced, parallel non-aligned posts formed with rotatable, enlarged upper portions, and extending from one side of said support a ring including clearance notches formed on the periphery thereof to permit simultaneous passage therethrough of said upper post portions when seating the body on said support, said ring further'including surface portions serving to cooperate with said posts I to press the body tightly toward the plate upon rotation of said body after seating, and

resilient means carried by at least one of said posts serving to laterally urge the axis of rotation of the body toward the others of said posts upon rotation of said'seated body relative to the support. 2. A combination as in claim 1 wherein said posts comprise .axles secured to the support and roller means carried by the axles, said roller means forming said upper post portions.

3. A combination as in claim 2 including means for providing a precise angular stopping position upon relative rotation between said seated body and said support.

4. In an attaching device for readily detachably mounting a body to a planar support with repeatable axial precision, the combination comprising:

a plurality of atleast three spaced, parallel non-aligned axles mounted on one side 'of'the support,

roller means carried by said axles,

said body including clearance recesses formed on th periphery thereof to permit passage therethrough of said roller means when seating the body among said posts, said body further including surface portions serving to cooperate with said roller means to press the body tightly toward the support upon rotation of said body after seating, and

at least one of said roller means including means serving to laterally resiliently urge the axis of rotation of the body toward the others of said roller means upon rotation of said seated body relative to the support. I

5. A combination as in claim 4 wherein the means to resiliently urge the axis of rotation is formed of a rubber like material.

6. A combination as in claim 4 wherein the means to resiliently urge the axis of rotation comprises a first and second annular member carried by said axle, said second member being disposed between said first member and said support, and an annular resilient member carried by said axle disposed between said first and second members.

7. A combination as in claim 4 wherein said roller means and corresponding axle are elongated to resiliently urge the roller means by flexure of the axle.

'8. x In an attaching device for readily detachably mounting a body to a support with repeatable axial precision, the combination comprising:

a plurality of at least three spaced, non-aligned axles mounted on the plate,

roller means carried by oneof the axles,

said body having a ring having a frustoconical surface formed on the periphery thereof, said surface including clearance recesses to permit passage therethrough of said roller means when seatingthe body among said axles, said seated body cooperating with said roller means to press the body tightly toward the support upon rotation of said body after seating, and

at least one of said roller means serving to resiliently urge the axis of rotation of the body toward the others of said roller means upon rotation of said seated body relative to the support.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,838,935 12/1931 Fixsen Q 248223 2,657,366 10/1953 Krtous a 287-20 X 3,219,371 11/1965 Danly 287-.20

DAVID J. WILLIAMQWSKY, Primary Examiner W. L. SHEDD, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

